Chris Thompson, Our Driver of the Month for May 2025

Chris Thompson is a name widely recognised in the world of kart racing. From countless endurance races to his team, DNH, he is a perfect example of what makes a Daytona Driver of the Month — both in racing skill and community spirit. We can’t think of someone more deserving of this accolade.

We caught up with Chris earlier this week, hot off the tail of his win at the Daytona 24 Hour Endurance Race, to discuss his background in racing, DNH, and the 24-hour itself.

Chris spoke with us over lunch just days after he claimed the coveted P1 in the SODI class. He had only just caught up on sleep from the gruelling event, where his three-man team shone in a 30+ heavy class of highly competitive racers.

We began by discussing his roots in racing. Chris is from a motorsport family, as many of the best drivers are. His dad and grandfather were also racers, driving a variety of vehicles over their careers. Chris recalled his earliest memories at tracks around the UK and photos of himself at just two weeks old sat in hill-climb cars. This early exposure, with racing clearly in his blood, has spurred him forward in his own journey.

He’s been in and out of karts, cars, and everything in between from as early as he can remember. The racing bug, as we joked, had truly infected him. He competed in both indoor and outdoor karting, honing his craft before taking on his first solo endurance race at the age of fifteen. The competitive side of karting became a personal challenge, while the team element of enduros, particularly the strategy, became a key passion.

These early years shaped Chris’ driving style. He became known for his consistency. He describes himself as not being a “natural qualifying driver” but “deadly in the wet”, details which have enabled him to manage and race alongside his team with such success. Fellow drivers have compared his style to that of Fernando Alonso, while Chris himself cites Sebastian Vettel as his biggest inspiration, aspiring to be “as switched on in the race" as the old champion.

Chris formed DNH in 2016 with mates from university, initially driving for fun when they could grab time between lectures. Little did they know a team built around a shared passion would grow into a 50-strong group of drivers. He highlights the diversity of the team, encompassing people met at tracks across the UK as well as longtime friends.

Today, DNH includes three disabled teammates, ten women, five over-fifties, ten heavyweights, and five under-eighteens. A team breaking barriers on and off the track. Chris also takes pride in mentoring junior drivers, supporting their development both on the circuit and within the community.

The name 'DNH' itself is a tribute, the initials of his grandfather. A fitting homage to the man who inspired his racing journey and instilled the values that now underpin DNH’s team ethos and sense of camaraderie.

When discussing team management, Chris humbly reflected on his role: “I don’t find it difficult, but I feel bad I can’t spend as much time helping everyone.” A selfless sentiment echoed around Daytona by its figureheads, including fellow Driver of the Month and 24-hour winner James King.

Naturally, the 24 Hour was the main topic of conversation. Chris drove alongside Laurence Vines and Murphy Thompson in the DNH Miles-Shelby Squad. A nod to the legendary Ken Miles and Carroll Shelby partnership that conquered Le Mans in the late '60s.

He described Laurence as reliable, adaptable, and strong in the wet and at night, much like himself, while Murphy played the role of a “tactical rocket… who can always pull out a fast lap.” The team found that Daytona Milton Keynes suited their smoother driving style well, with the karts responding accordingly.

When I asked whether the team felt confident heading into the race, Chris portrayed a quiet confidence. That confidence was no doubt bolstered after he went from P17 to P1 in the first stint.

One of the key battles of the race came against the ever-competitive Some Random Bloke team. “It wasn’t easy,” he said, “but consistency and strategy gave them the best shot. "Murphy put in the legwork late in the race when heavy rain disrupted much of the track, and suddenly, the win became theirs to lose".

It’s no mean feat to take on a 24-hour race, let alone as a team of three. Chris highlighted their ability to take on double and even triple stints, a bold move that saved time on driver changes and allowed them to develop a closer relationship with the kart and evolving track conditions. “It takes 20+ laps to really get up to speed,” he noted.

That kind of long-term thinking and race craft defined their bulletproof strategy, propelling the team to the top of the SODI class and pushing other DNH squads to strong finishes despite many of them competing in their first endurance event.

One such standout was young JCS star and fellow Driver of the Month winner, Zoe Cattet, who completed three hours of racing in her first-ever 24-hour. Chris was full of praise: “We recruit organically, but we always look for awareness and attitude over speed. Speed can be taught — Zoe has everything in buckets.”

Looking ahead, Chris is already preparing for Teesside in two weeks. With a few major birthdays coming up within the team, the goal is to get all DNH teams into the top half of the field, a target he says is achievable with the current momentum.

Recruitment continues steadily, recently welcoming Adam and Grace, a father-daughter duo, to the DNH family. “It’s all about potential and race craft,” Chris said. “You can teach someone to be fast, but race awareness is priceless.”

When I asked Chris what he loves most about endurance racing, he didn’t hesitate: “The strategic element".

As for pre-race rituals? None in particular, though he always wears an orange t-shirt.

If given the chance to race anywhere in the world, Chris says he’d pick Snetterton in the UK for its balanced layout, and Mugello in Italy, “stunning and the perfect blend of medium and high-speed corners.” If he could do it in anything? “A classic sports car at Le Mans in the ‘60s — that’s the dream.”

His advice for younger drivers is simple: “Fail fast.”

“People are scared they’ve only got one shot, but the truth is there are so many paths — WEC, F1 Academy, karting, rallying… You can still get where you want to go, even if it takes a few tries.”

Chris may have found his passion through endurance racing, but his success is rooted in something deeper; community, consistency, and a quiet, relentless drive to improve. A deserving Driver of the Month, and an even more impressive figure off the track.